Monday’s Children and the Law News Roundup

The Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC) at the Northwestern University School of Law has received a $750,000 award from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in recognition of the Center’s exemplary advocacy for children caught up in the harsh realities of Illinois’ juvenile and criminal justice systems…

Casey Anthony was forced to come out of seclusion and publicly answer questions for the first time today when she appeared in Florida bankruptcy court.

“I don’t pay rent. I don’t pay utilities,” Anthony said, according to the Associated Press. “I guess you could say I’m living free off the kindness of others.”

Anthony, 26, has gone into hiding since 2011 when she was acquitted of murdering her toddler Caylee. She was the victim of a barrage of threats and was dubbed the most hated woman in America. Aside from a few stray photos, Anthony has succeeded in staying out of sight…

While juvenile incarceration rates across the country have fortunately declined sharply in recent years, America is still putting too many young people in jail, even for minor crimes.

A new report on juvenile-justice reform by the Annie E. Casey Foundation provides compelling evidence that there are effective alternatives to incarceration that can save taxpayers money and protect society…

About Lisa Steffek

Lisa Steffek is a third year student at the University of Houston Law Center. Lisa completed her Bachelors, Masters and Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Texas in Human Development and Family Sciences. As an undergraduate, Lisa worked as a research assistant studying child attachment. Lisa also worked for several years at The Settlement Home, a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed adolescent females. Most of the girls at The Settlement Home had been removed from their homes by Child Protective Services, and Lisa worked with the girls to teach them life-skills and provided psychological treatment to prepare them for adulthood and the transition to foster homes. Lisa also worked for six years in various academic capacities at the University of Texas, including an undergraduate teaching assistant, graduate research assistant, and undergraduate writing consultant. Lisa has presented papers regarding human development at various academic conferences in the states and abroad, and has had her writing published in an international, academic journal.

Contact Us

Center for Children, Law & Policy (CCLP)
Southwest Juvenile Defender Center (SWJDC)
Director Ellen Marrus, J.D., LL.M.,
George Butler Research Professor of Law
University of Houston Law CenterEMarrus@uh.edu